Alpaca Mundo - Arequipa, Peru
by Rebecca Hollman
updated Dec 14, 2018
Alpaca Mundo - Arequipa, Peru
A small museum, petting zoo and gift shop, Alpaca Mundo is a great way to spend a few hours in Arequipa learning about alpacas/llamas, the importance of their hair, and the traditional weaving process. You first enter the “petting zoo” area where you can spend some time observing and petting the llamas and alpacas (if they will come up to you). The guy working there will usually hand you some alfalfa hay to tempt the animals to come over and hang out. After petting the alpacas and taking some photos, the worker will tell you to move into the “museum” building. In this building, there are many information placards that teach you about the different types of wild and domesticated camelids, the different breeds of alpacas and llamas, how the hair is shorn and cleaned, etc. From there, you head into the room with the ladies who are in traditional dress and are showcasing the traditional weaving style of the area. They will answer a few questions but generally expect to be tipped, especially if you are taking pictures of them. There is also some information about what materials they use to dye the fibers and how they dye it in this room. From there, you go down the stairs and enter the final area which showcases all the historical machinery that was used in the process of turning the hair into thread that could then be weaved into textiles. There are around 20-30 cool, old machines and some black and white photographs of people working the machines 50 something years ago. As you leave, you will go through the gift shop where they sell high-end clothing using all alpaca fibers. You don’t necessarily need to buy anything but its nice to since the entrance to the whole building and area is free.
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